Welcome to Phelex Foundation Website!---Hope Elementary School, Dangyang, Hubei

Hope Elementary School

Mushroom & Herb Nursery

Facts about school:

Tuition and fees per year	RMB 380($46.3)	Per capita annual income	RMB 560 ($68) in 1996
Number of teachers	34	Number of students	526
Location	Dangyang County, Hubei Province (Click for Map)

School and project photos:


Logs are ready for mushrooms to grow in November 1997.		Students at Hope Elementary School hope* for a better future.*

Project developments:

The school facilities were built and funded by China HOPE Project. However, the new buildings can't guarantee the enrollment of financially disadvantaged children.
In September 1997, the foundation funded the Mushroom project in partnership with local government. The Foundation provided RMB 33,500 to the project. 53 students received the Foundation's tuition assistance, and 69% were girls.
In April 1998, mushrooms started to grow. The local government contributed RMB 7,376.84, and the villagers volunteered part of labor.
The Phelex Foundation provided additional RMB5,000 to ensure the success of the project. In September 1998, the project received proceeds of total $3,567 in mushroom sale, which enabled 69 needy students to continue schooling. (see the chart below for tuition aid distribution)
April 2000, the school reinvested RMB12,000 to improve the production, and anticipated 23% increase in mushroom sale.
In Dec. 2000, the program proceeds funded 188 needy pupils valued at RMB 19, 980 including each of 15 extremely needy pupils received ? 380 Yuan per year, each of 30 needy pupils received RMB 190 per year and each of 143 ordinarily poor pupils received RMB 60 per year.
In the spring of 2001, the program changed tree trunks for packaged bacterial materials and expanded edible fungus planting by the request of environment protection.
In Sept. 2002, 48 people from villagers of 10 villages and pupils' parents consisted of ‘the Family Head School '. The Family Head School mainly engaged in investigating needy pupils' situation and supervising the financial situation of the school and its tuition aid program and the distribution of tuition aid fund.
In Sept. 2003, the school was incorporated in 9-year compulsory education school. The school expanded the tuition aid program by self-raised fund, further supported needy junior students.
In Oct. 2003, the school was elected as ‘the Advanced Family Head School ' in Yichang area.
In 2003, the program gained RMB 9, 500 proceeds, spent RMB 6, 500 in funding 65 children.